These Walls: University of Central Oklahoma's Forensic Science Institute

These Walls: University of Central Oklahoma's Forensic Science Institute

Article excerpt

The sun gleaming through the bank of windows behind him,
University of Central Oklahoma President Roger Webb temporarily
donned a pair of shades in keeping with Hollywood's portrayal of the
suddenly cool world of forensic science.

It was a lighthearted gesture that brought a laugh from a
normally somber set of judges, law officers and lawmakers who
gathered Thursday to celebrate the pride and promise of UCO's new,
$12 million 35,000-square-foot Forensic Science Institute.

"Days like this when we can commemorate a dream becoming a
reality are very special to me," Webb said, sans shades.

Once a lawman, Webb said his respect for both the justice and law
enforcement communities led him on a long quest to assemble the best
faculty and the best forensic science program in the United States.

"The idea came from understanding that scientific evidence is so
critical in understanding right from wrong and is such a critically
important aid to law enforcement officers," Webb said. "That's why
it has haunted me that we couldn't provide this kind of training in
the state."

Webb now has a new facility, which is conveniently located across
the street from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation Forensic
Science Center on E. Second Street, and a faculty that has more than
200 years of forensic science experience.

He said the combination will help push UCO to the top in forensic
science education and training.

Funded by a higher education bond issue, the state-of-the-art
facility features a 165-seat auditorium, four classrooms, an
evidence recovery training bay and the AT&T Digital Evidence and
Cyber-Security Laboratory, which features $1 million in
sophisticated crime-solving equipment.

The cyber-security lab will harness the expertise of OSBI experts
and local law enforcement personnel, as well as faculty, and the
evidence bay will provide students with hands-on crime scene
preservation training. …